A 2022 Winter Olympics In Denver Would Cost $1.5 Billion, Mostly Privately Funded

[glowrock]

Enough of this crap. While some people here are just making some light-hearted jabs at one another, serious city vs. city trolling is starting to occur here. I've deleted a few posts already, please guys, keep this civil!

Aaron (Glowrock)

edit: Old&New, not all Winter Olympics games revolve around ski slopes.

[Old&New]

It's true Although it's nice to have the venues as close together as possible

[SnyderBock]

I wonder if the fact that Aspen holds the annual, Winter X Games, would help a Denver bid?

[Old&New]

Aspen is 198 miles away from Denver (3 hr. and 48 min. drive)

[bunt_q]

Aspen's too far to make a difference. Vail and Winter Park (City of Denver-owned) are the ones that always get talked about for the Olympics.

I bet we could negotiate with the UP for a month of track usage for something as big as the Olympics. If we can, we have existing rail directly from Union Station to the base of a Winter Park. Could be very useful (and enjoyable - nobody will mind that 90 min train ride).

The distance from Denver to Vail is quite comparable to Vancouver - Whistler, and that worked just fine. I think the IOC is willing to give up a little in distance to get the winter games in real major cities. They can't raise the profile of the winter games as long as they're stuck in Lillehammer and Lake Placid. If they only consider cities 30 minutes from the venues, there aren't going to be many to choose from.

[seventwenty]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I think the IOC is willing to give up a little in distance to get the winter games in real major cities. They can't raise the profile of the winter games as long as they're stuck in Lillehammer and Lake Placid. If they only consider cities 30 minutes from the venues, there aren't going to be many to choose from.

And yet Pyeongchang, SK gets the 2018 games over Munich. Granted, SK had been trying for the 2010 and 2014 games as well, but the whole notion of the winter games now must be in a city isn't 100% set in stone.

[wong21fr]

^Spreading the Olympic love geographically is also very important. The Winter Olympics have to spread from the traditional North American and European venues and seek new global locations, especially in Asia, to increase the audience for the Games.

[blm3034L!fe]

The whispers of Denver Hosting the Winter Olympics have been going on for years now, actually shortly after SLC Hosted.

I personaly believe that Colorado/Denver is taking the right steps to present the area as a PRIME Candidate for hosting the Winter Olympics. Such as the Success of the X-Games and the Dew Tour amoung other smaller venues hosted in other Colorado Resorts annually. Along with hosting the NBA All Star game a few years ago as well.

The key factor will be the funding, if the funding is in place? Then the next step will be the access to the Mountain Events. Which will include I-70 Expansion and high speed rail to Vail.

Denver and the mountian towns already have enough hotels and buildings or facilitys to host all the events, maybe with the exception of the speed skating. But i'm sure that could be easily taken care of.

There are plenty of Billionaires and Millionaires who have local companys in this State who would jump at the Chance to finance the event and help promote thier business Locally for the WORLD TO SEE!!!

DENVER WILL WIN THE BID AND ALL WILL WORK OUT! IT WILL BE A SUCCESS. The only thing that will be a concern is how many people will end up locating to Colorado after the event, but that will happen anyway. I have been here for 11 years now,and in that time almost 1.5 Million People have relocated to Colorado, the Denver area has grown by 900,000 new residents in that time.

So get over it Colorado Natives 7 out of 10 young adults that visit the area tend to relocate here, the growth will happen regardless if we host the Olympics or Not. I believe the difference is this day and age vs the 70's back then the Front Range was still open and the amount of people moving to the area was a slower steady pace that was comfortable for the people living here. But now the majority of the States population and highly educated residents will see the value of this City hosting the Olympics! And everyone is pretty used to the growth ever since the early 90's Denver boomed! Then has kept a steady pace ever since. I believe Denver will BOOM Again after hosting the Olympics then go back to the Steady Growth. no big deal More Tax payers money for the State hopefully more business seeing the Value in Colorado and relocating here. All Will work out!

I Can't wait. IT WILL BE EPIC!!!

[Old&New]

There have also been whispers in Salt Lake City since 2002 of hosting another Winter Olympic games, especially after both the USOC and IOC expressed a desire for the games to come back to Salt Lake in the near future. So although Denver has a very good chance IMO, Nothing is certain for 2022. Salt Lake City has had a lot of new economic development as a result of it's Olympic Legacy. Having an opportunity to showcase this at a 2022 Winter Olympic Games would give the IOC an opportunity to show the world the successes and gains Salt Lake City has experienced as a result of hosting the Games.

[BG918]

The main legacy a Colorado Olympics (I say that because it would not only be Denver but also Vail/Winter Park) could bring is better transportation between the Denver metro and the mountain resorts. Whether that be a widened I-70 or some kind of rail link, or both, would be a huge improvement. Something like the 2022 Olympics could go a long way toward making that a reality. Most of Fastracks light/commuter rail lines will be completed in some form by then with an impending Olympics bringing to the forefront other rail needs such as the Broadway/16th connector light rail line and the Colfax streetcar.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by BG918

Something like the 2022 Olympics could go a long way toward making that a reality.

I'm not sure there'd be enough time between 2015, when the winning city would be announced, and the games in 2022 to actually do the project. Unless we can fund the whole package that the current EIS contemplates ($20 billion+) and guarantee somehow that nobody (environmental groups come to mind) is going to try and throw a monkey-wrench in the process... I just think I-70 is too big and too controversial to get done in a 7-year timeframe. To say nothing of mustering that kind of money on such short notice, unless Washington is willing to go for a big fat earmark.

Olympics or not, I wonder how California would feel about Colorado getting a cold $20 billion to connect Denver and some ski resorts when they are struggling mightily to connect some real places with a combined population roughly 10 times that of metro Denver.

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I'm not sure there'd be enough time between 2015, when the winning city would be announced, and the games in 2022 to actually do the project. Unless we can fund the whole package that the current EIS contemplates ($20 billion+) and guarantee somehow that nobody (environmental groups come to mind) is going to try and throw a monkey-wrench in the process... I just think I-70 is too big and too controversial to get done in a 7-year timeframe. To say nothing of mustering that kind of money on such short notice, unless Washington is willing to go for a big fat earmark.

Olympics or not, I wonder how California would feel about Colorado getting a cold $20 billion to connect Denver and some ski resorts when they are struggling mightily to connect some real places with a combined population roughly 10 times that of metro Denver.

A Denver 2026 or 2030 Winter Games would give Colorado enough time.

[blm3034L!fe]

Hey Old & New Is your name tattoo? Are you Seeing Planes? Cause your ass is living in Fantisy Island!

I have a better chance of winning the Powerball than SLC does of winning a bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN...

[Old&New]

Originally Posted by blm3034L!fe

Hey Old & New Is your name tattoo? Are you Seeing Planes? Cause your ass is living in Fantisy Island!

I have a better chance of winning the Powerball than SLC does of winning a bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN...

If there were no chance, then Salt Lake City wouldn't be so serious about a 2022 Winter Olympic bid.

I'm curious, how many times did Denver bid before they were finally awarded the Winter Olympic Games (which they ended up rejecting)?

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by blm3034L!fe

Hey Old & New Is your name tattoo? Are you Seeing Planes? Cause your ass is living in Fantisy Island!

I have a better chance of winning the Powerball than SLC does of winning a bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN...

Something was said about 2002. The rest is history.

[glowrock]

This thread officially closed.

Aaron (Glowrock)